What does he say about the allegations?
In a statement last Wednesday, Feldmann apologized: “Yes, I made mistakes, and I’m rightly criticized for that.” At the victory celebration, the horses ran away with him. As far as the corruption allegations are concerned, the mayor still maintains his innocence. Instead, he issued a statement saying: “Finally: Now the excessive allegations can be clarified.”
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How can Feldmann be pushed out of the office of mayor?
Three variants are currently conceivable. Feldmann resigns voluntarily and makes his office available. Second, he could also request retirement for special reasons. The most important prerequisite for this is the justification with a lack of trust for further cooperation. The city council would have to approve the motion with a two-thirds majority. A third option is opt-out. The city council would have to set this in motion. A two-thirds majority is also required for this variant.
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Which scenario is conceivable?
Only the third scenario is conceivable. In the case of the first two scenarios, Feldmann would have to act himself, which is currently unlikely.
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How expensive would a voting procedure actually be and what are the hurdles?
The mayor is directly elected by the citizens. Therefore, a two-thirds majority of the city council is not sufficient for the deselection procedure. The people of Frankfurt can vote Feldmann out of office themselves. But there is also a major hurdle for this: At least 30 percent of those eligible to vote must vote for the deselection. The Volt party estimates the cost of the procedure at around 1.5 million euros.
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In what way can the deselection process fail?
It may fail due to the low turnout – and it is not that unlikely. Because in the last mayor election, turnout in the runoff was only 30.2 percent. Despite the possibility of too little participation, the supporters “don’t want to be afraid” (Nils Kößler, CDU chairman) of a possible failure.
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What would Feldmann face if convicted?
The accusation of accepting an advantage from a public official is regulated in paragraph 331 of the German Criminal Code. If he is convicted, Feldmann faces a prison sentence of up to three years or a fine. It is not yet clear when the trial before the Frankfurt district court will begin.
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If Feldmann resigns or is voted out, who could succeed him?
If the Lord Mayor is voted out of office, a new election must first be held within four months. Until then, Mayor Nargess Eskandari-Grünberg (Greens) will be in charge of his official business as a representative of the mayor.
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